Lúthien Anwamanë
by Weilder-of-the-Quill
Summary: Lúthien Anwamanë is not just any elf. She is Gandalf's student and adoptive daughter, Aragorn's sister, and the elleth that just can't get out of Legolas' head. After he meets her in his forest, Legolas is enthralled by her. But, why is she so special?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it! So far, the only thing I own is Lúthien…(

Chapter I—Lúthien

Legolas Thranduilion, Prince of Mirkwood, sat upon his horse, observing the calm forest, a feeling of uneasiness upon his chest. He had known the forest for centuries, having been born in it 150 years previous, and he could feel something amiss. Slowly he brought his horse down the hill and into the forest. After some time riding his Elvin ears perceived a young woman scream. He rushed his horse in the direction of the scream, realizing, as he grew closer to the source of the voice, that it was an elf that had screamed. Being the prince he was, Legolas knew to help any elf in his realm that needed him, and readied for battle, loosening the straps holding his daggers in his belt. But when he reached the clearing where he had heard the scream he found no need for the daggers anymore.

Standing in front of him was a young elleth, bloodied sword in hand. Her hair was long, reaching lower than her waist, and very black. Her face was pale, unnaturally so, and her eyes were big and blue, almost calling to him. She was tall and well formed, and she held herself proudly, even now, when here eyes were full of fear, probably because of the dead orc at her feet. Legolas' eyes traveled down to the orc, and found a deep gash in its chest. The elleth had killed him quickly and painlessly with one sword stroke. He got down from his horse and walked towards the elleth, but she, still in shock, turned to him with her sword raised in a combat position.

"**Tira ten' rashwe, Astalder!"** _(Be careful, valiant one!)_

The elleth's eyes, which had been cold with fear, seemed to soften at Legolas' voice. She looked at Legolas' eyes and dropped her sword, only to fall into unconsciousness seconds later. Just before passing out though, a soft, almost silent call exited her lips: "Mithrandir!" Legolas' strong arms wrapped themselves around her before she could hit the floor, piercing herself with her sword. Careful not to harm her he picked up her sword and carried them both to his horse. He sheathed her sword and sat her in front of him, putting his arms around her waist to keep her safely on the horse. Soon they were galloping to the Mirkwood Palace, where, hopefully, the elleth would receive any medical care she needed.

Legolas paced his room restlessly. As soon as he'd gotten to the palace he'd taken the elleth to the healers' wing, and he had been immediately kicked out. Legolas yearned to know whom the elleth he had found was, and why she was alone in the Mirkwood forest. After a while of pacing somebody knocked on his door.

"**Yallume! How is she?"** _(Finally)_

Legolas opened the door, expecting one of the other elves from the palace. Instead he found himself face to face with Gandalf, looking at him gravely.

" '**Quel re, Legolas**. A word, if you please?" _(Well met)_

Legolas nodded and moved from the doorway to allow Gandalf entrance. Gandalf walked in silently and sat on one of the chairs in the room. He waited until Legolas sat down and then observed him for some time. Finally he sighed and spoke.

"I hear you were the one who found Lúthien. Is that true?"

Legolas, assuming Lúthien was the elleth he had found in the forest, nodded. Gandalf observed him for some more time before speaking again.

"Legolas, what happened when you found her? Was she hurt? Why was she in such a state of shock?"

"I do not know, Mithrandir. I mean, she was standing before a dead orc, whom I am pretty sure she had killed, but that is about it. I do not find that situation as something worth going into shock."

Gandalf's eyes widened as Legolas spoke. Suddenly he stood up and began cursing at himself.

"**Nadorhuan! Dolle naa lost! Amin feuya ten' lle!** She's off facing orcs and you are on the other corner of the land, smoking a pipe!" _(Cowardly dog! Your head is empty! You disgust me!)_

Legolas looked at Gandalf startled. To him the old wizard had always seemed rather calm and composed.

"Mithrandir? Are you all right?"

Gandalf turned to look at the elf, his eyes burning like pits of fire. He looked like he was going to scream again, but decided to rather sit down.

"I'm fine, Legolas. I'm just not very happy with my actions."

Legolas nodded, still somewhat confused.

"Mithrandir, who is that elleth? Why was she out in the forest by herself?"

"Her name is Lúthien. She is a green elleth, from Rivendell. Even though she has not spent much time there as of late…I should sent her there sometime soon…But anyway, I had sent her here to find you, which I guess she did do after all…How are your dungeons? Still in the same gray, moldy state they were in when your father kept Bilbo and his friends in them?"

Legolas looked at Gandalf surprised. The Mirkwood dungeons were not the most pleasant ones around…In fact, they were quite the opposite, and the elves usually decided not to keep anybody in them. Gandalf knew this, as Legolas was sure of, so why was he inquiring?

"Yes, Mithrandir, they are still quite uncomfortable. But, why do you want to know? You know we do not like to keep prisoners there, as it is cruel. And, even if you DID want us to keep a prisoner, shouldn't you be talking with my father? He is the king, not me."

Gandalf nodded. He stood up and nodded at Legolas.

"You are quite right, but your father does not like to be reminded of the condition of his dungeons, as you very well know. I wanted to know if they were still the same. Now I will go ask him if he could keep a little prisoner there for me, until things settle down. I will see you soon."

With those words Gandalf left, and Legolas suddenly realized he still did not now if Lúthien was all right. Sighing he decided he would go check up on her after the evening meal. If the healers had let Gandalf in, surely they would allow their own Prince to see her.

But his wishes to see her were not granted, when he found out she had left with Gandalf shortly after Thranduil had agreed to keep Gandalf's prisoner for a while. When Legolas found out he felt like screaming in frustration, but held it back. He once again went to pace in his room, wondering just who Lúthien was.

The years passed, and Legolas pushed Lúthien's name to the back of his mind. Soon, however, he found himself once again watching the forest from atop his horse, only this time, he was saying goodbye. Gollum had escaped the Mirkwood dungeons, and Legolas was to go to Rivendell to inform Lord Elrond. The ride would be swift, hopefully not taking any longer than a few days, and Legolas hoped he would get a chance to see his friends, Arwen and Aragorn. Finally, after a last glance at the forest, he turned his horse around and started galloping away and towards Rivendell.

While Legolas came closer and closer to Rivendell, Lúthien was sitting restlessly at the library of said place. Gandalf had left weeks ago, promising to come back soon, but there was no word of him. Frodo, the hobbit Gandalf was supposed to arrive with, had gotten to Rivendell, followed by Aragorn and three other hobbits, but none of them had any word of Gandalf, and that worried her. She sighed and put down the book she had been reading. Gandalf had left a long list of books she should read from the Rivendell library last time she'd seen him, and she had followed it strictly. She was almost done with the last one, but could not find the calmness needed to concentrate. Gandalf did not break his word. He had promised her he'd be back with Frodo, but he was nowhere to be found, and that had been keeping her awake more nights than not. She stood up to head to bed, her blue eyes tired, but stopped dead on her tracks when she heard a horse down in the yard.

Lúthien, with high hopes of it being Gandalf, ran down to the yard, only to find herself face to face with a tall blond elf with beautiful grey eyes sitting proudly upon his horse. Lúthien did not need anybody to tell her this was a member of the Elvin royalty, as she could feel the royal aura around him. She dropped into a low curtsey and stayed down until the elf sighed.

"**Mani naa lle umien? ****Tampa tanya!**" _(What are you doing? Stop that!) _

Lúthien slowly rose from her curtsey, still keeping her head down.

"**Elen sila lumenn omentilmo. Creoso, heru en amin**." _(A star shall shine on the hour of our greeting. Welcome, my Lord.)_

Legolas sighed. Most of the time he could keep his royal identity a secret, and most people would not act any different than they would if he were their brother. And yet, here he was, with a young elleth he had never met before in his life curtseying and not looking at him. Then again, she probably was a low elf, one of the servants of Elrond, which would explain her being up so late.

"Stop that! Get up and move it! Just take me to my rooms, and stop this damn nonsense before I strike you!"

Lúthien felt scared. She had merely been following her instincts, but the elf did not seem to appreciate that. In fact, he seemed angry, and Lúthien felt herself stiffen thinking he might strike her. But he was a guest to the house of Lord Elrond, and of a higher standing than her, so she decided to do as he said. She shakily took his horse to the stables and led him to a garden where he could sit while she ran to tell a servant of his arrival. After the servants were informed she led him to his room, from where she finally went to bed. In the meantime Legolas called for a servant to bring him a lamp to write a letter to his father. When he saw a different elleth than the one that had received him he felt confused.

"Excuse me, where is the other servant? I would like to apologize. I believe I might have been rather harsh towards her."

The elleth bringing the lamp looked at him as if he was making no sense.

"You know, the elleth that received me and led me here. She had long black hair, reached about my chin?"

Suddenly the servant's eyebrows shot up until they reached her hairline, and she dropped the lamp, glass spreading everywhere. Legolas started cursing, but stopped when he realized the look the elleth was giving him.

"What? Did I say something wrong? I am sorry; I'm not usually like this…. I am just horribly tired."

"I can tell," said the servant slowly, "that you are very tired indeed. Otherwise I do not see how you would confuse Lady Anwamanë for a servant. Even less treat her like you did."

Legolas was already in bed, having given up on writing to his father that night, and barely caught what the servant said. Already drifting off into sleep he decided he'd ask somebody else the next day. After he fell asleep the servant left the room, slowly shaking her head.

"A servant indeed…I wonder what everybody will say when I tell them this!"

The next morning Legolas arose late, and looked around surprised until he remembered where he was. He sighed contently at having finally arrived at his destination and went towards his bags to change his clothes. Then he left his room and, since breakfast was long gone, decided to go down to the kitchens to get something to eat. Once there he found the same servant that had taken the lamp to him the previous night.

"Excuse me, could I have a word with your?"

The servant looked at Legolas and nodded when she recognized him.

"I know last night I showed a great lack of knowledge, but I would like to evade that mistake again. Could you please tell me whom Lady Anwamanë is?"

The servant nodded, almost looking amused.

"You are a friend of Lord Aragorn, are you now?" at Legolas' nod she shook her head, "I am sure he must have talked to you about her…Are you not aware that Lúthien Anwamanë is Mithrandir's student and practically his daughter, as well Lord Aragorn's "adopted" sister? I cannot believe you disrespected her so, treating her like a servant…I do not think I have ever met anybody who'd dare disrespect her…or who'd want to actually."

"Why would they not want to?"

"Well…"the elleth thought about how to answer for a second, then looked up at Legolas, "you are Lord Aragorn's friend, so you should know well that he is very protective of those he loves. Let's just say that there are few people he cares as much about as Lady Anwamanë. He is very…fierce when it comes to having people respect her. Then there is Mithrandir, which is much the same. I still remember the time one of the elves though he could have his way with her…I do not think he has recovered quite yet. But, above all that, Lady Anwamanë is one of the gentlest creatures alive. She does anything that is asked of her with no complain, she respects all creatures of the Middle Earth, and she is, altogether, the sweetest elleth I have ever known. Anyway, good luck to you on whatever brought you to Rivendell…if I were you I would try and apologize to her as soon as possible…"

The elleth winked at him and gave him some ale and a basket with bread and fruit and sent him on his way. Legolas just wandered around Rivendell, lost in his own thoughts. He _did_ remember Aragorn talking excitedly about his "little sister," and Arwen telling him of the young girl whom Mithrandir had raised in the arts of the **Istar** _(wizard)._ For a long time he had wanted to meet her, and he could not believe when he finally had he had treated her like a mere servant. Still lost in his thoughts he did not realize when he came upon Aragorn and Lúthien in one of the gardens. Aragorn was facing away from him, talking animatedly with Lúthien, and so he did not realize, but Lúthien did, and stiffened, remembering the previous night. Slowly she stood up and fell into a curtsey, and Aragorn, surprised, turned around to see whom she was curtseying to with such fear in her eyes, only to be severely surprised to find his lifelong friend standing there.

"**Selli**, why do you curtsey like that? Why won't you meet my friend's eyes, looking away with such fear?" _(Sister)_

Lúthien still looked to the floor, not rising from her curtsey, her eyes filled with fear. Aragorn turned to look at Legolas, feeling anger rising in him.

"Legolas, you would not happen to know what is causing my sister such distress. _Would you_?"

The last phrase was spoken coldly, as if Aragorn could barely constrain his anger.

"Well…I _might _have a slight idea," he said, as he slowly backed away. He did not like the look in Aragorn's eyes, having seen it various times right before battle.

"Legolas, tell me!"

Aragorn's eyes filled with a strange fire, his fist tightening around the hilt of his sword. Legolas looked around wildly for an escape route, but found none.

"I arrived late last night, and I was very tired…just as I arrived…uh…someone came down to the yard and curtsied. I was not in the mood for formality…you know how I get when I am tired…and I was horribly tired—I had been traveling for three days nonstop! — So I might have said some things I should not have…maybe even made a small threat?"

At this point Aragorn exploded. He unsheathed his sword and in two seconds he was pinning Legolas up against a wall with his sword at his neck. Legolas looked down at the sword, his face filled with fear. Aragorn pressed the sword slightly against his neck, not quite drawing blood, a set expression on his face, when a voice stopped him.

"**Otorno! Tampa**!" _(Brother! Stop!)_

Aragorn slightly lightened his hold on Legolas, and the elf soon backed away from him. Lúthien stood a few paces behind Aragorn, and he looked at her concernedly.

"**Selli, lle lakwenien? Si nadorhuan—**"_(Sister, are you kidding? __This cowardly dog—)_

"—is your best friend. He did not strike me, nor did he touch me in any way. He just spoke to me in an inappropriate manner. Eru knows that happens constantly! Now, the both of you shake hands and make up!"

Aragorn glared at Legolas, and Legolas tried to smile shakily.

"Sister, a man who threatens my family is no friend of mine."

"I have forgiven him already," Lúthien said calmly, "why can't you do the same?"

Aragorn looked at Lúthien's saddened expression and nodded. He turned to look at Legolas and extended his hand for the elf to shake. The elf smiled and walked over, shaking Aragorn's hand like nothing had happened between them. Even if he would never admit it, Lúthien could see Aragorn was happy. Legolas had been his friend for years, and it would be an utter shame if they were not to continue in that friendship. Lúthien would have never forgiven herself if Aragorn and Legolas stopped being friends because of her. Sighing she turned around and silently left in the direction of the library, where she would re-take her reading. Maybe Gandalf would come back soon, and if he did he would be very displeased to see she had not finished the reading he'd assigned her.

Down in the garden Aragorn was talking with Legolas, somewhat colder than usual, but still in a friendly manner. Soon the conversation steered to Lúthien.

"So," asked Legolas, "what is your sister's first name? I have only heard her referred to as Lady Anwamanë or Sister."

Aragorn raised an eyebrow and looked at Legolas off the corner of his eye. He had received many letters from Legolas talking about the mysterious elleth he had found in the forest, before he had pushed those thoughts back in his mind.

"Lúthien. Her name is Lúthien."

Suddenly Legolas' eyes shot open. He remembered the young elleth in the forest, how she had called for Gandalf, and how he had come and taken her away…It all fit, she was Lúthien, the elleth from the forest!


	2. Chapter 2

November 11, 2006

Disclaimer: I repeat, I DO NOT own Lord of the Rings! I only own what you can't recognize. K? K, so don't sue me!

A/N: Three things:

I have decided that I will not be writing so much in Elven, since the variation I use is less commonly known and people don't seem to like having to look for the translation…Plus, I don't even know all that much, just key words and phrases…So, from now on, if it is in **bold**, then it was originally said in Elven. Ok? However, I will keep names and nicknames that are originally in Elven in that form (i.e. Ada Father, Selli Sister, Otorno Brother…)

I just wanted to clear up with all of you that Lúthien Anwamanë has nothing to do with Arwen's relative; they just share the name…Sorry for the confusion!! ** . '**

OK, I will be answering anonymous reviews through here, as I answer all others through they "_reply_" tool…and here is the first one! If you don't want to read me being _very_ bitchy just skip over it…

ºº Mrs Huggins: well excuse _me_ for breathing! I have no clue what you have against me, but let me make some things clear… To begin with, despite what you may think, not everybody is LotR crazed. I mean, I love Tolkien's works, but I have not studied it from cover to cover, and so I do not know Elven. I actually do know basic phrases in Grey Company Elvish, and I thought I might use it here, thinking people were a _wee bit_ open minded around here. They usually are, you just seem to be a **freak** case, and much of a **BITCH**, if I may say so (and even if I may not). Oops, did I really say that? My bad. But anyway, given that I already speak Spanish, English, _and_ French fluently, I don't think it such a big priority to learn a made up language nobody speaks outside the FF world. Then again, some people** just don't have a life**, and have to memorize every single word with the mere purpose of going out there and flaming people's stories. But moving on, because, you see, I _don't_ care if I offend you. I did not go to some "idiotic name generator" as you so _graciously_ put it. In fact, I dislike name generators greatly, as they come up with the most annoying names one could possibly think of. Also, Tolkien himself recycled Elven names, having had at least 2 elves named Legolas in his works. But I guess you already know that. _Right?_ And so I am completely in my right to use the name Lúthien, and I shall use it for my character. Because she _is_ my character, even if you insist she is not…you see, I am merely using the name, and most everybody already knows Tolkien came up with the name. The personality is all mine, just like the plot. Which is something you should learn about, as you seem to focus merely on the most ridiculous factors of this story, ignoring the plot all together. So, next time you try and flame somebody, think a bit about it, because it just _may_ be that that somebody will have the guts to answer back, and set you to rights. Got that? Good. Now get your **damn** and **shitty** self out of my story, as **you don't seem to have the courage** to sign under your user name and let me block you. ºº _Estrella_ **♀**

* * *

Chapter II—A Perfect Masquerade

Lúthien sat carelessly in the library, books spread all around her, humming softly to herself. She had finally finished the last book Gandalf had assigned for her to read, and now she did not know what to do. Finally she decided to put all the books back in their places, and she stood up and began to pile up the books before taking them to the shelves. There were over 20 of them, varying in topic from weather magic to the different races in the Middle Earth. Lúthien had gathered almost all of them when the door opened, causing Lúthien to drop all of them. She silently cursed and kneeled down to get all the books. Whoever had entered the library walked towards her but stopped a few feet away from her, not making a move to help.

"**You could help a bit, could you not?" **shespat angrily, before looking up at who it was. Once she saw the face of the intruder she gasped and a smile filled her face. She got off her knees instantly, and threw her arms around the tall wizard's frame.

"**Ada! You have returned! I'm so relieved! The hobbits got here two days ago, and I was worried sick!**"

Gandalf smiled and hugged his adoptive daughter back. She really did look relieved, and her eyes looked like a heavy weight had been lifted from her.

"I did not mean to get delayed, dear. I would have come sooner, had it been in my power, but dark times are coming, and I had to deal with something."

Lúthien nodded and kept picking up the books. Rather than put them back, she decided to put them on her table and go talk with her "father." They walked around Rivendell for a while until Gandalf sighed and stopped Lúthien.

"All right, Lúthien, what is worrying you? I can tell you are bothered by something still."

Lúthien looked at the floor, evading Gandalf's eyes. She did not want to admit to him that she was afraid of an elf. Still, Gandalf lifted her chin up with his index finger, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"I would have thought," he said sadly, "that after 62 years of knowing me you would trust me."

Lúthien could not stand Gandalf's sad tone, and hugged him tightly.

"Oh, Ada, I do trust you!" she told him lovingly, "I just don't think it is a big deal. It is very stupid, really!"

Gandalf pulled away from her embrace and led her to a nearby garden, where they sat on one of the benches.

"Lúthien, tell me. Please. I want to know what is bothering my _tellela_ (little elf)."

Lúthien sighed and nodded. She closed her eyes for a second and then started speaking. Gandalf listened patiently to her whole "speech," looking lost in thought.

"So you see, it's nothing to worry about! I'm sure he was just tired."

Gandalf nodded when she finished. He looked up at the sky and seemed to be confused.

"Legolas does not usually lose his temper easily. I know not what might have caused him to act as he did. As you know, being one yourself, elves do not usually get angry for no reason, unless…it may be. I should go talk with him. Lúthien, I'm sorry to cut this short, but I will be back soon. I must go talk with Legolas."

Lúthien nodded sadly and sat in the garden for some more time. To anybody going by she just looked like she was relaxing, but in truth she was not. She had not seen either Gandalf or Aragorn for some time now, and now they were both with Legolas. She might have not wanted to break the friendship Legolas had with them, but she had hoped at least one of them would spend time with her. In truth, Lúthien was rather jealous. She might have told Aragorn to still be friends with Legolas, but she was starting to regret it. And what was Legolas's deal anyway? He just came one day, treated her like scum, and then stole her friends/family away! Slowly a single angry tear ran down her cheek. Lúthien dried the tear and stood up. She headed to her rooms and changed into some leggings and a tunic, only to get on Isilme, her silver mare, and gallop off into the forest.

Once she was in a clearing in the forest, too far from Rivendell for anybody to stumble upon her, she got her bow and arrows from Isilme and started shooting arrow after arrow at a tree across the clearing. Much to her discontent, but not to her surprise, none of the arrows hit the mark. She groaned and went over to get all her arrows back and put them back in the quiver. She then decided to try her skill with the sword. She unsheathed it and began a design of thrusts and swings with the sword. For years she had practiced with the sword, and yet she was still horrible at managing it. More often than not her sword never got anywhere near her opponent, and whomever she was fighting against would find a weak spot within seconds. She could only remember two times when a sword had actually helped her, and none were occasions she wanted to remember. Lúthien finally put her sword down and sat down, leaning against a tree.

_"Lúthien, face it, you cannot fight,"_ she thought to herself. _"You lack technique and grace, and you do not seem to ever pay attention to what your opponent's next move will be. Why don't you just drop it? You are a wizard's apprentice, and you do not even like fighting, so why must you do it?"_

But much to her discontent another voice inside her head answered.

_"Because you are an elf. Dark times are approaching, we have been told repeatedly, and everybody should know how to defend him or herself. All elves seem to domain one weapon perfectly, and even the hobbits are taking up arms! Do you want to be the only one who doesn't fight? Do you want to be the one who stays behind and everybody laughs at? Do you want your friends to fall one after the other because you did nothing to help?"_

Lúthien sighed. She did not want people to laugh at her. She was proud. Maybe too proud actually, and if there was one thing she could not stand, that was for people to laugh at her or think her defenseless. Which was why she must learn to use at least one weapon better than all others. She wanted people to look at her and think, "There goes Lúthien Anwamanë, the most skilled around!" and to fear her, not daring to attack her or her loved ones. She was already Gandalf's student, but she did not think that was enough. Most people did not know she existed, as Gandalf liked to keep his life secret. She wanted to be known all over the Middle Earth and beyond. Already people admired her for being gracious, which in reality she was not. She knew people would love an elleth who could take anything and turn it into something beautiful, and so she was nice and polite to all those around her.

It was not that she wanted to NOT be nice and polite, she just worked extra hard at it to make people see her as the MOST gracious. Most people would never know her true self. In fact, there were only six people who had ever seen the real Lúthien in some way, be it anger, pride, jealousy or weakness: two were her parents, who were dead. One was Gandalf, who still loved her despite it. Next was Aragorn, with whom it was the same as with Gandalf. Then came Gilraen, her best friend, with whom Lúthien felt right at home, so it didn't matter. The last was Legolas. Legolas had seen her in one of her weakest moments, and she would never forgive him for that. There were times, when she stopped to think how weak and un-ladylike Legolas must have thought she was when he saw her, that she almost wished she had been killed by the orc. Almost.

Soon the sun began its journey down to the horizon, and Lúthien decided to return to Rivendell. She got on Isilme and soon she was in Rivendell. To celebrate some thing or other about the Quest of the Ring, there was a ball being held that night. As was expected from her, Lúthien was planning on attending. She just was not so sure if she would stay for the whole thing, for that would mean having to, at some point or the other, talk to Legolas. No matter how much tension built up between them, Legolas and Aragorn were best friends, and Aragorn would want to share that part of his life with her. But maybe, just maybe, and with a whole lot of luck, Lúthien would be able to escape the celebration before Aragorn decided to have her talk with Legolas.

Lúthien went in her room and found a bath already prepared for her. She silently thanked Gilraen, who also happened to be a servant at the palace, for knowing her so well. Lúthien slipped out of her clothes and got in the bath, feeling her strained muscles relax in the hot water. After having bathed and washed her hair Lúthien walked towards her closet to choose a gown for the ball. It was rather chilly out, so something warm was in order. After looking for a while she finally found a good gown for the evening. It was a long dress in soft lavender and cream shades. It tied right under her bust, enhancing her figure, and had a modest neckline, revealing just enough to attract attention but still seem innocent. The sleeves were rather long, falling past her hands, and bell-bottoms, Lúthien's favorite kind of sleeves. After putting the dress and a pair of slippers on Lúthien twirled around her room for a few minutes, delighting in the sighing of her dress.

As Lúthien was twirling around somebody knocked on her door, and she stopped her childish act and walked over. She opened the door slightly, only to throw it wide open at the sight in front of her. Aragorn, all dressed up and smiling, leaned against her doorframe, a gentle smile on his face. Lúthien giggled happily, allowing him to come in as she went back to twirling around the room, a peaceful smile set on her face. Aragorn came in, chuckling lightly, and looked her over. He loved how she looked when she was so happy, her cheeks would get the slightest pink tinge, and her eyes twinkled with happiness. Aragorn was aware very few people ever got to see her like that, and he counted himself delighted to be one of them. Still chuckling lightly he offered her his arm, bowing his head slightly.

"**Milady, the ball awaits**."

Lúthien nodded and stopped twirling and dancing around. She took a deep breath and composed herself, so that her cheeks recovered their almost color-less shade. Aragorn felt himself sadden slightly. Lúthien always seemed so tense around other people to him. He wished she could just let go of her pride and enjoy life, but she seemed to think composure to be above happiness. Lúthien placed her arm above his, and, winking once at him, started walking out her room and towards the ball. Before the ball there was to be a banquet to which everybody was to attend, and Lúthien had the sneaking suspicion she would end up sitting to one blond prince of elves. Her fears were confirmed when Aragorn led her to the high table, where Elrond and his guests sat. And indeed, there sat Elrond, who was talking heatedly with Gandalf, and many other guests of Elrond, which, much to Lúthien's discontent, included Legolas. To make matters worse, the only two seats open at the moment were beside and in front of Legolas.

Aragorn sat next to him, not before having kissed Lúthien's hand and pushing her chair in. Lúthien smiled lightly at him, for it was a tradition of sorts of theirs to flirt with each other hopelessly. Obviously, they would never act on that flirting, but that didn't stop them from having some fun. Since Lúthien had become the "perfect young elleth" they did not do it so much, only when in private, but Aragorn still acted overly gallant around her. Lúthien, trying to seem friendly, smiled at the elf in front of her before turning to the man sitting beside her. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with dark hair shorn about his shoulders. Lúthien held no doubt he was considered handsome amongst the women, but she was an elleth, and as such she had seen elves much more handsome than he. Regardless, she smiled widely at him and introduced herself.

"Hello, my lord. I am Lady Lúthien Anwamanë of Imladris. It appears I am to be your dinning partner for this evening. It is a pleasure."

The man smiled at her, his eyes traveling over her body for a second before settling back on her face, with a broader smile upon his face.

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Anwamanë. I am Boromir of Gondor, son of Denethor II," he said, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles, never once taking his eyes off hers. Lúthien sighed contently. Boromir seemed like a pleasant man, and, if she got lucky, he would keep talking to her throughout the night. Following the rules of curtsey, Legolas would not be able to talk to her until Boromir was done talking to her. Besides, Boromir would probably succeed at keeping Legolas off her mind for the rest of the evening.

The meal went by fast, and Lúthien and Boromir never stopped talking. Soon Lúthien realized that she actually enjoyed talking to Boromir, and soon forgot completely about her plan to forget about Legolas (a/n—is that horribly confusing?). Once the meal had ended Boromir, taking Aragorn's "job", escorted Lúthien to the dancing hall. Furthermore, his hand never letting go of hers, he asked her for the first dance of the ball, which, for as long as both Lúthien and Aragorn could remember, had been held between the "siblings". And yet, not meaning to offend her newly found friend, Lúthien agreed, dancing not only the first dance, but also over half the songs that evening with Boromir. Aragorn watched from afar, a small frown set on his face, jealousy taking over him.

"**Aragorn, my friend, forget her for tonight!" said Legolas, who had been watching Aragorn's mood steadily decrease throughout the ball, "you act as if she was your lover, not your sister**!"

Legolas laughed as if he had just made the funniest joke, but Aragorn shook his head, still frowning.

"**Legolas, there is something wrong with that man. His heart is not where it should be. I can feel it even from here. I don't like his dancing with my little sister**."

"**If you are so uncomfortable with their dancing**," said Legolas slowly, "**why don't you go ask for a dance? She will not deny you, you are her brother after all**."

Aragorn nodded slowly, and decided to take his Elven friend's advice. He strolled over to where Boromir and Lúthien danced and tapped Lúthien's shoulder lightly. Lúthien turned to look at him, her eyes twinkling merrily. Aragorn extended his hand and raised an eyebrow inquiringly. Soon Lúthien had bidden Boromir good night and gone off to dance with Aragorn. Aragorn dipped her low and when she got back up she giggled happily. She loved dancing with Aragorn; he was as graceful as an elf. After a while it started to get late, and Lúthien sighed tiredly. She rested her head on Aragorn's chest, her arms wrapping around his waist in a sisterly embrace. Aragorn smiled, happy with just holding his "younger sister" close. In next to no time he heard Lúthien's steady breaths, and he knew she had fallen asleep on her feet. That was rather weird, as, like any elf, Lúthien did not need sleep all that much. But Aragorn assumed she had had a long day, with the worry for Gandalf, Legolas' threat, and her long ride that afternoon. He put his arm under her knees and took her to her room, setting her gracefully on her bed. He sat by her for a while, just looking at her face. He remembered when he first met her.

_He was Rivendell, and was about 7 years old. He had heard Gandalf was around there somewhere and wanted to go greet him, so he was heading to Lord Elrond's study, where he usually received his guests. But, as he was going there, he heard Lord Elrond scream a name loudly. Aragorn stopped for a second. He may be young, but he knew that Lord Elrond did not anger easily. Suddenly a small elleth, who looked to be a bit younger than him, ran into him and looked at him, mischief and fear in her eyes._

"_**Please, hide me!**" she said quickly. At the time Aragorn did not speak Elven all that well, and he just looked at her confused. She pulled on his arm and repeated, this time in Common, with a panicky tone to her voice. _

"_Please, hide me! I will do anything!"_

_Aragorn nodded and quickly dragged her to his room. The girl sighed and lay down on his bed, her dark hair forming a fan around her head. It was then he realized she wore her hair down, not in a braid, like other Elven maidens did._

"_Excuse me, who are you? And why did you need me to hide you?"_

_The girl sat up and looked at him, a crooked smile on her face._

"_I'm Lúthien. I'm hiding from Lord Elrond. He isn't very happy with me right now."_

_Aragorn looked at her confused. Why would Lord Elrond be mad at a young elleth? He asked her that, and she fell into a fit of giggles, her laughter bouncing off the walls._

"_Well…I may have played a little prank on him…Or rather, his hair. I mean, how was I to know wild berries mixed with ale would cause somebody's hair to turn purple? It sure doesn't say that anywhere, nor had I been told!"_

_But her tone hid laughter, her eyes giving away the truth. Aragorn immediately liked her. He strode over and sat next to her, extending his hand to shake hers, which she did._

"_I'm Aragorn, by the way."_

"_Aragorn? Well that is one big mouthful to say everyday! Do you use it always, or just on special occasions?" Lúthien asked, amusement in her voice. "I prefer simpler names, names that describe you as you are, not as your parents wanted you to be."_

_She stood up and walked around him in circles, but suddenly there was a loud knock on his door, and Aragorn heard lord Elrond standing outside. In three wide strides he had hidden Lúthien in his closet and opened the door, to reveal a disheveled Lord Elrond with long purple hair. Aragorn acted surprised, denying having ever seen the "young calamity" lord Elrond was looking for. Soon lord Elrond was gone, and he opened the closet door. Lúthien jumped out and looked at him amazed._

"_I know what I will call you! You are Strider!"_

Aragorn sighed. It had been a long time since Lúthien had pulled any pranks on anybody, let alone Lord Elrond. She had been so "perfect" ever since the accident, almost as if she wanted to prove to somebody that it hadn't been her fault. Lúthien was around 7, a baby by Elven standards. She had gone out with her parents for a picnic, which, as she had told Aragorn, was going to be the first picnic she ever had outside the actual city of Rivendell. Her parents and her had ridden out early in the morning, and had left word that they would not be back until late. Once at the picnic site Lúthien went for a walk without telling her parents. They soon realized she was gone and went looking for her, not really thinking anything bad would happen to her, but not wanting to take any chances. In the meantime Lúthien had suddenly found herself surrounded by orcs.

She let out an ear-piercing scream and soon her parents ran to where she was. They were not ready to fight 20 orcs, and they soon fell. Lúthien ran to her parents, wanting to embrace them and assure herself they were all right, but the orcs closed in around her. She grabbed her father's sword from his hand and, with a rather disconcerting skill for such a young elleth, stabbed the nearest orc. Orc after orc came at her, and she stabbed them all to death until they all lay around her in a bloody circle. She staid there until late in the night, when Gandalf, who had gone out looking for her and her parents, found her. He had taken her under his wing, and she had staid like that ever since, becoming his student. Ever since then she had been reserved and quiet, and, above all, she had harbored an irreversible fear of orcs. That day Aragorn had lost his prank-mate, receiving a young woman in the shape of a little kid in her stead.

Since that day Aragorn had wanted nothing more than to protect her and keep her from any harm. Lúthien had blamed herself for the accident, thinking that if she had not run off, if she had not screamed, maybe her parents would still be alive. It was a wound she still carried with herself, and Aragorn felt himself hurt too whenever he saw Lúthien bury herself deeper within her perfect masquerade. And yet today a part of her true self had broken though. He knew Lúthien loved balls, and yet she acted distant and aloof at them, not really talking with anyone. But today she had talked with a young man, and she had danced with him, her cheeks pink and her eyes twinkling. Aragorn should have been happy, he told himself, but he could not. Deep inside he knew something was wrong with Boromir, and yet Lúthien seemed so smitten with him. Aragorn knew, almost as certainly as he knew the sky was blue, that Lúthien would end up hurt. And that scared him to death.


	3. Chapter 3

_November 20, 2006_

_Just thought you'd like to know I don't own LotR...or anything you recognize for that matter...P_

**Emrys**—Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it…this won't be an actual 10th walker, but it will, in a way, border it…hope that's OK!

**Ujo**—As stupid as this is going to sound, yes, I WAS PMSing…You REALLY could tell, couldn't you? I just get really moody…sorry if I offended you.

**Mrs Huggins**—I'll just say that I did not technically scream at you, but write you an angry reply…there is a difference. And I will also say that I am aware of how rude and impolite I was, and I'm sorry. I was kinda PMS-y that day…you can tell, can't you? Anyway, I would like to come to a truce with you: I will not reply angrily and you (please) will forget my rambling. Deal?

**Jules14**—Did I seriously come out so harsh I have scared off reviewers? Now I feel bad! I'm sorry, I'm not usually like that, I was PMSing that day…and I actually greatly appreciate the criticism! To address your main points:

--I will recycle the name here for the sake of the story: I cannot come up with good names

--Lúthien is not Aragorn's real sister; she is kind of an "informal" sister

--Gandalf's "teacher" relationship with Lúthien will be further developed later on, but, trust me, I keep what you said in mind

--I'm sorry about the mistake; as you can see from Chap 2 on I use the correct term

--I have ignored the fact about the servants and balls, even though I know it's true, for the sake of the plot

--Boromir won't be turned into a jerk, I actually like him…the foreshadowing represents something else that will happen…not telling what though P

--Thanks for the advice and the compliment, I will try and keep this story as canon as possible

**Disgusted with you**—Eh…Nice name? I'm sorry, but, like I've already said about 4 times so far, I was PMSing…I did come out pretty bitchy, didn't I? Hope you don't hold it against me, even though I'm pretty sure you will…still, sorry!

* * *

Chapter III—A Not-So-Normal Day  


Lúthien woke up early in the morning one day, before the crack of dawn. She got out of bed and walked towards her closet. She looked over her gowns for a while and finally decided on a soft lilac gown with cream embroidery lilies on it. With that, a pair of boots, and all other things she would need for a bath, she headed down the stairs, out her house, and towards the waterfall set out for bathing. She took of her sleeping gown and walked into the water, not feeling the iciness of it. She took half an hour bathing and washing her hair, and once she had finished she walked towards her clothes and dried herself off gently before putting on her gown. Her hair was still somewhat wet, and it was dripping on the back of her gown, but she did not care, as she liked to let her hair down to dry.

Lúthien walked back towards the actual city of Rivendell and dropped off her stuff at her house. That day she did not have much to do, but Gandalf was there, and he would probably come up with something for her to do. If there was one thing Lúthien could always count on, it was Gandalf's ability to come up with a task for her to do, be it amusing or tedious, hard or easy. And so Lúthien headed to the kitchens, where Gilraen awaited with her breakfast.

"Lúthien, why won't you braid your hair? You know how improper it is to wear it wet and loose, getting your gown so wet!"

Lúthien sighed. Indeed, she was aware of how improper it was, but it was so much more fun than tying it up! Still, if she did not tie it up, her image would be lowered, no longer that of the perfect elf-maiden. She nodded and finished eating her breakfast before heading back towards her house.

"Oh! Gilraen…Would you like to go out later on today? You know, after luncheon. I think I will go for a walk around the woods."

Gilraen nodded, a smile taking over her face. She loved the wood as much as any other wood elf, and she had not gotten to spend much time with Lúthien lately. It was the perfect plan.

In the meantime Lúthien was already nearing her house. She opened the door and went up to her room, where she sat in front of the vanity with a small hairbrush in hand. She started brushing her hair gently, until it was perfect. Then she proceeded to dividing her hair into 7 different sections and braiding it complicatedly, forming a crown around her head with the braid. She then realized that she had forgotten to put on her necklace. It was a blue crystal, the color of her eyes, hanging upon a silver chain. It had once been her mother's, and she had had it since her parents' death. She took it out of its case and slowly put it around her neck, feeling better once it was finally there. It was almost a punishment to wear it, for it made her think of her parents' death, making her feel guilt and blame. Still, the bittersweet necklace always hung around her throat, making her feel protected and loved by her parents.

She looked herself over one last time before leaving her room, on her way to find Gandalf. After some while she found him, sitting worriedly by a young, dark-haired hobbit's bed. The young hobbit had been unconscious for days, his face pale and deathly. He had just woken up the day before, and now seemed to be resting. Another hobbit, this one with light hair, sat by the bed too, his face the mirror of Gandalf's. Lúthien felt a wave of jealousy rise within her. Who was this hobbit, to steal her father's attention from her? Without saying a word, and without making herself noticed, she turned and left, heading towards the library.

She loved the Rivendell library, as it always presented a place to calm down and be in peace and quiet. She could rightfully say that it was her "happy place." Once at the library she searched for a book she had not read yet. It was rather hard to find, as she was a very intellectual elleth, and had read most of the books there by the time she was 12. That was another of the reasons why she had wanted to study with Gandalf; he believed deeply in researching and reading. Lúthien finally came upon a book she had not seen before. It was a collection of poems about inter-racial romances, and she sat down to read it.

Lúthien had been reading for a while when the luncheon bell rang, calling all elves to lunch. Lúthien put the book away and hurried to the dinning hall. She found herself sitting next to two dwarves who were ignoring her, and so she ignored them as well. As Gandalf's student people did not usually ignore her, but she guessed these two dwarves did not know who she was. After she finished lunch she excused herself to her room and found Gilraen already waiting for her.

Lúthien and Gilraen set out towards the forest, and walked around for a couple of hours before they stopped at a clearing near the river. Lúthien lied down and let the sun bathe her, enjoying the feel of the sunrays on her skin. In the meantime Gilraen was making flower crowns for both of them. Finally they decided to return as the sun was setting. Once back they realized they had missed dinner, but shrugged it off. Lúthien headed to her room, and let out a loud gasp when she realized Gandalf was already there.

"_Ada_! What are you doing here? You scared me!"

Gandalf smiled lightly and rose to embrace her. Lúthien sighed contently at the smell of pipe tobacco and fire powder that always seemed to bathe him. He caressed her hair gently, making her feel like a small child again…suddenly she felt a tear fall on her cheek. She pulled away and saw Gandalf crying softly.

"What's wrong, _Ada_? Did I do something? What happened?"

Gandalf shook his head, smiling lightly at her.

"_Tellela _(little elf), you have done nothing but bring me joy, and that is what pains me. Today, while you were gone, a council to decide upon the fate of the One Ring was held. It has been decided that it shall be destroyed. A fellowship has been formed, to help and protect the Ring-bearer. I volunteered to join this mission. I will not lie to you; it will be dangerous and deathly. But I have confidence on the Fellowship. I hope we succeed but, if we don't, I want you to sail to Valinor and the Grey Heavens without me."

Lúthien stared at Gandalf, her mouth agape. The thoughts did not seem to register in her brain. Gandalf wanted her to sail to Valinor? By herself? She could not do that, and he knew it!

"Ada, I will do no such thing! You know I love you, and I will not sail without you by my side! I will go with you on this quest if necessary!"

Gandalf sighed and shook his head once again.

"_Tellela _(little elf), you cannot come with me. I mean no offense, but you are a woman, and rather weak. You must stay here, and, if word comes that we have failed, sail off as quickly as possible. Swear to me you will do that. Swear it!"

Lúthien walked away from Gandalf, shaking her head, tears streaming down her face. She shook her head wildly, biting her lip to keep herself from sobbing out loud.

"I will never leave you. Never. You cannot ask me to sail to the Grey Heavens and leave you behind, for I will not, under any circumstances, do that. Got it? Never!"

With those parting words she turned and left, running towards Aragorn's rooms. She knocked on his door fervently, calling out his name, not caring that she was probably waking up everybody in the house. Finally Aragorn opened, wearing naught but a long tunic, his eyes filled with concern. Lúthien threw her arms around his neck, sobbing against his chest. Surprised Aragorn brought her in, throwing the door behind them and leading her to his bed.

"_Selli_, what is wrong? What has you crying so despairingly?"

Lúthien kept sobbing, not being able to get a straight sentence out, and all Aragorn could make out was that Gandalf was the cause of her despair. He sat with her sobbing on his chest for the rest of the night, not knowing what the problem was, and therefore not knowing what to tell her. By the time the sun was raising the next day Lúthien seemed to calm down. She sat up and dried her tears, turning to look at Aragorn straight in the face.

"Aragorn, tell me of the council held yesterday."

Aragorn seemed surprised at her request, but agreed nonetheless. He told her of the Ring, and of how it must be destroyed.

"Frodo offered to take it, along with a Fellowship of nine others to help him, who will leave in a month. Gandalf was the first to volunteer. A dwarf called Gimli volunteered too, together with Boromir, Legolas, Frodo's hobbit friends, and me."

At the last phrase Lúthien's whole body stiffened. Both her father and her brother were leaving her to join the hobbit that had been taking up all their time for the past few months.

"I don't suppose I can go with you. Can I?"

Aragorn shook his head, a gentle smile on his face.

"I don't think a woman would do much good for us. Do you? I mean, we will have to fight. I do not think you would like that, or do very well at it."

Lúthien looked away angrily. So it was like that with her brother as well. Neither her father nor her brother thought her able to go with the fellowship. She pulled away from Aragorn and stood up, smoothing out her gown. She gave Aragorn a cold kiss on the cheek and left without a word, leaving a very confused Aragorn behind. Lúthien headed for her room and changed into a loose gown. From there she went to Lord Elrond's study, where she found him pouring over maps. As soon as she came in he looked up at her and sighed.

**"I thought I would see you soon. Come in and sit down. How may I help you?"**

**"Lord Elrond, my father and my brother are leaving me for the battle. I do not wish to stay here by myself. I would like permission to go to Lothlórien. I would like to see Lord Haldir and Lady Shaliema again."**

Elrond nodded, his face serious. He thought for a second and then looked up at Lúthien again.

**"The Fellowship shall leave in a month's time. A week before them you shall leave, carrying a message for Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel. Is that all right with you?**"

Lúthien nodded and thanked him before leaving to her room to pack. She would be gone for a year or so, or at least she planned to. She left enough clothes to last her until she left for the trip and packed everything else. Once she was done she headed for the gardens, where she stumbled upon Arwen. She curtsied low, much to Arwen's discontent.

"**Raise, Lady Anwamanë. I had been looking for you. Have you had an argument with Elessar? He did not seem very happy this morning**."

Lúthien blushed as much as an elf would ever blush naturally and turned her head lightly. She did not wish for people to think she was ill tempered, and having fought with her brother sure deemed her so.

"**We have not argued, my Lady. I just wad displeased with his decision to join the Fellowship so suddenly, without having told me anything of it. I have not seen him for a long time, and I will miss him. That is all, your Ladyship**."

Arwen nodded and bade Lúthien farewell, heading towards lord Elrond's study. Lúthien sighed and went off towards the kitchens, to inform Gilraen of her trip. She did not feel comfortable being around Arwen, as she made her feel bad. Arwen was the image of who she wanted to be: beautiful, graceful, acclaimed and loved by all…and she had had all that from the cradle, where Lúthien had been working hard all her life for that same recognition. She finally reached the kitchen and looked for Gilraen. She found her flirting with a young visiting man, probably an escort to Boromir, and decided to stay in the shadows for a while. Finally the man left and Lúthien approached her friend.

"**Looks like a nice fellow**."

"**He is**," answered Gilraen, not startled at all by Lúthien's sudden appearance, "**but I don't think you came here to tell me of that**."

"**Indeed**," agreed Lúthien, nodding her head. **"I came here to inform you that in three weeks time I shall depart for Lothlórien."**

Gilraen nodded sadly. She had heard from one of the other servants of Aragorn and Gandalf's new mission, and had known Lúthien would not stay around like a mop to await their arrival. It was just not who she was.

"**Will you not consider staying with me?"**

**"I'm sorry, but you know I can't. Besides, I have been yearning to see Shaliema again. And Haldir! I have not seen him for the longest time!"**

Gilraen nodded sadly and hugged Lúthien. Lúthien was constantly on the go to places with Gandalf, and that saddened Gilraen. Besides, 90 of the time she was with Gandalf, and this time she would be making a long trip in dark times without him, and that worried her. But she knew she would not be able to change Lúthien's mind, and she regretfully admitted it. Lúthien staid in the kitchens with her for a while, helping bake the bread for the luncheon and chatting about this and that. When the luncheon bell called Lúthien left and headed for the dinning hall. She found Aragorn and apologized, hugging him tightly. They sat together during lunch and talked cheerily to each other. Only once did they touch the subject of the Fellowship, and that was very lightly. All Lúthien had to say about it was: "take care of my _Ada_, will you? He isn't a young Istar anymore."

Aragorn readily agreed, knowing how much that meant to her. Not that he would not protect him otherwise, as he loved Gandalf as well. He would just keep a closer watch on him, not wanting to venture a guess what Lúthien would do if something were to happen to her dear _Adar_. Soon luncheon ended, and Aragorn and Legolas went off to practice some fencing, once again leaving Lúthien alone. Lúthien sighed and headed out the doors, only to run straight into the four hobbits she had been hearing so much about, making them, and in the process, herself, fall flat on their behinds. She stared at them intensely, and they stared right back at her. all of a sudden they all started laughing out loud, and, without a single word, a friendship was formed.


End file.
